Apparatus for chemical analysis or other purposes



May 8, 1962 A. SAIFER ETAL APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OR OTHER PURPOSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1958 FIG. 2

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INVENTORY 4584,4444 Wm-"2 Jam-P A a P ATZUE/VEY May 8, 1962 A. SAIFER ET AL 3,033,656

A APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OR OTHER PURPOSES Filed June I1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORY I! fls/emw/w JA /Fee Jamspy lf opp 3,033,656 Patented May 8, 1962 United States Patent *Otlice 3,033,656 APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OR OTHER PURPOSES Abraham Saifer, Brooklyn, and Joseph Kopp, Jackson Heights, N.Y., assignors to Clinalysis, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 11, 1958, Ser. No. 741,398 Claims. (Cl. 23259) This invention relates to apparatus for chemical analysis and more particularly to apparatus for expediting the procedure in analyses involving the addition of a specific "quantity of one fluid to a specific quantity of the specimen fluid to be analysed. An instance of such analyses is found in hospital laboratories which are called upon for ever increasing numbers of biochemical analyses with consequent taxirig of the laboratory staffs in their efforts to meet the demand. As a step in making such an analysis, a uniform specific quantity of a specimen fluid such as, for example, blood plasma, is required, to which a uniform specific amount of solution is required to be added.

The main object of the present invention is the pro-' vision of an apparatus whereby perfect precision in the measuring and mixing of, the two fluids is attained without requiring more than a minimum of attention or skill on the part of the operator, and wherein a plurality of identical operations may be carried on simultaneously or in rapid succession.

As a consequence of the utilization of the apparatus of the instant invention, the time material required per analysis is reduced so that in a given period of time a larger number of analyses may be completed, their accuracy is enhanced, and the size of the required sample or specimen is reduced. The apparatus may, of course, be

.used for any operations requiring the accurate measurement of a standard quantity of one fluid and the mixing therewith of a standard quantity of another fluid.

The above broad aswell as additional and more specific objects of the invention will be clarified in the following description wherein reference numerals refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the dr-awings'are intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the details illustrated except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a support or cabinet for the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view illustrating one of a number of simultaneously operable units of the apparatus.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a support which may be in the form of a cabinet having a front wall 11, a bottom wall 12, and side walls 13. It may further be provided with handle 14 for moving it about. Spaced from the open top is a shelf 15, and space below the shelf 15 is a second shelf 16. The structure has no rear wall so that the interior is-accessible from the rear. The cabinet illustrated is provided with three separate units capable of performing the same operation on three separate samples for analysis simultaneously but elements common to all of the units are interconnected as will be set forth below. Instead of three .close to the wall by standard clamps 26. Each member 19 comprises the measuring tube 21, a double-bore stopcockor valve member 22, and the fixed volume capillary tip or tube 23 of constant diameter. The reduced lower end of the tube 21 leads to the top of the stopcock 22, as shown at 24. A conduit 25 leads upward from the top of the stopcock spaced a short distance from the burette end 24. The plug of the stopcock has two parallel passages extending at an angle to the vertical, shown at 26 and 27, which are so positioned with respect to the tip 23 and conduits 24 and 25 that, when the plug is in the position shown in FIG. 4 communication between the tube 21 and the tip 23 is provided through the passage 26 and the conduit 25 is shut off. Upon rotation of the plug through degrees, the positions of the plug passages are shown in broken lines; in this position the tube 21 is shut off from the tip 23 but the conduit 25 is in communication therewith. In an intermediate position of the plug, not shown, all communication with the tip 23 is shut oif. This is a standard form of double-bore stopcock.

The upper end of the tube 21 is widened into a tubular bowl 28 having a downwardly sloping conduit 29 providing an outlet from its base. Unitarily with the tube and the bowl is an overflow extension 30 whose opening 31 is positioned between the top of the bowl and the outlet into the conduit 29. Near the lower end of the tube 21, a conduit 32 leads outward and upward.

The entire calibrated tip automatic measuring tube assembly 19 described above is formed unitarily, preferably of glass except, of course, for the stopcock plug which is rotatably mounted within the stopcock housing.

Mounted on the shelf 15 are the sealed containers 33, one for each member 19, adapted to contain the required diluent fluid or reagent. From each container cap 34, a flexible tube or hose of any suitable material, 35, leads into a header or manifold 36. From the latter a tube 37, having a control valve 38 (positioned in a side wall for operation from outside the cabinet) therein, leads to the plus side of the pump 17. The minus side of the pump leads through a tube 39 into the top of a sealed container 40. A tube 41 leads from each conduit 25 through an opening 42 in the front wall 11 into a header 43. A tube 44, having a control valve 45 therein, leads from the header 43 to the top of the container 40.

Tubes 46 lead from the conduits 29 and pass through openings 47 in the front wall 11 into a header 48; from the latter a tube 49 leads into an unsealed waste container 50. Each container 33 has an outlet tube 51 leading to the conduit 32.

The clamps 20 are secured to the Wall 11 by means of screws 52. They include arcuate members 53 having raised rounded lugs 54 on their ends. Complementary jaws 55 are pivoted at one end on a pin 56 passing through the member 53 and have, between the opposite or handle ends 57 and their pivot ends, additional spaced lugs 58. A spring, not shown, normally urges the jaws apart. Thus, by mounting a tube such as tube 21 between the pairs 54 and 58 of lugs and releasing the jaws, the tube is firmly held. Simply by bringing the jaws together the tube may be released.

By elongating the pin 56 and passing it through an opening in the wall 11, the pin may be used to actuate a standard hose clamp or compressor 59, illustrated in FIG. 4. By turning the pin 56 in one direction the hose is squeezed, and turning it in the other direction permits the hose to expand toward its normal diameter. Each tube 51 passes through such a hose clamp.

The volume of the measuring tube 21 between the lower end of the reduced bottom conduit 24 and the outlet 31, is calibrated to contain a fixed standard volume such as is required for the analysis to be undertaken. Likewise, the capillary tip 23 has a constant diameter and a fixed standard volume, so that it may hold the exact amount of fluid (which is to be analysed) to be combined with the diluent taken from the container 33. Owing to the obviously very small volume of the capillary tip 23, only minute or what may be termed micro-samples of the specimen are required.

In operation, with the pump motor energized and with the stopcock rotated to position the passages 26 and 27 as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, the valve 45 is opened while a test tube or other container 60 holding the fluid to be analysed is positioned as shown in FIG. 1 with the capillary tip 23 inserted into the fluid. The suction of the pump in the tube 44 draws the fluid up into the tip 23 and when the tip is filled the operator rotates the stopcock to total shut-off position, i.e., through 90 degrees. He need not be meticulously careful to stop the flow of fluid at a given instant, for it does not matter whether it runs on through the passage 27 and beyond, for the filled tip 23 contains exactly the volume desired. Then the test tube 60 is replaced by a beaker or other container 61 and the valve 38 is opened to permit air pressure to act within the container 33 to force the diluent through the hose 51 and thus upward into the tube 21, to pass up through the outlet 31 and any excess will flow off into the container 50. Here again no technical skill or accuracy is required, as the desired volume of diluent will be contained within the measuring tube up to the tip 31. Then the stopcock is rotated through another 90 degrees to align the passage 26 with the tip 23 and the tube 21, whence the combined fluids in exactly the desired volume of each will flow by gravity into the beaker.

The tube 21 as well as the stopcock passages and the tip 23 may readily be washed out in an obvious manner to prepare for the next sample for analysis. Because the tip 23 is of capillary dimensions throughout, introduction of any subsequent samples with the aid of suction serves to remove any excess diluent, which passes into a waste bottle, thus permitting accurate subsequent measurements of multiple micro-samples.

The sequence of steps set forth above is given merely by way of example, as the exact sequence followed depends upon the choice of the operator.

The various control valves are of course normally closed and are opened only for operation of any one of the units as may be necessary. The members 19 are provided with different sizes of measuring tubes and capillary tips 23 so that an assortment is available to cover a range of standard volumes of diluents and specimen fluids. Flow of fluid from the container 33 through the tube 51 is controlled as well as turned on and Oif by the set screw 56 of the hose clamp 59.

Thus, because of the absence of need for accuracy and care upon the part of the operator to be certain that he has measured exactly the desired volumes of the two fluids, any given preparation may be accomplished very quickly and they may be proceeded with in rapid succession. With the arrangement of multiple units in the cabinet, a further saving of time in preparation of a multiple of specimens for analysis, is attained.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. An apparatus for semi-automatic multiple analysis comprising a measuring tube and a calibrated capillary tip and a three-way bore cock situated between said tube and said capillary tip, a vacuum reservoir, means for supplying reagent to said measuring tube, first communicating means between said cock and said reservoir, pump means having positive and negative pressure applied to said reagent supply means and said reservoir, respectively, second communicating means from the pressure. side of said pump means to said reagent supply means, and a third communicating means between said reagent supply means and said measuring tube.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, including valve and manifold means inserted in said first and second communicating means.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, including valve means on said third communicating means.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, including overflow means from said measuring tube.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, including valve and manifold means inserted in said first and second communicating means, valve means on said third communicating means, and overflow means from said measuring tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Geyer Mar. 5, 1935 Shook Jan. 20, 1948 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR SEMI-AUTOMATIC MULTIPLE ANALYSIS COMPRISING A MEASURING TUBE AND A CALIBRATED CAPILLARY TIP AND A THREE-WAY BORE COCK SITUATED BETWEEN SAID TUBE AND SAID CAPILLARY TIP, A VACUUM RESERVOIR, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING REAGENT TO SAID MEASURING TUBE, FIRST COMMUNICATING MEANS BETWEEN SAID COCK AND SAID RESERVOIR, PUMP MEANS HAVING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PRESSURE APPLIED TO SAID REAGENT SUPPLY MEANS AND SAID RESERVOIR, RESPECTIVELY, 